Toronto Teens And Artists Create What Could Be World's Tallest Mural

Dozens of teenage artists completed one of the largest pieces of public art Toronto have ever seen.

The massive mural was unveiled at 200 Wellesley street today.

The location is the same building that caught fire in 2010, forcing hundreds of people from their homes.

“I was working with the youth in the community to decide what kind of project, but then also to decide on the content of it,” said Sean Martindale, lead artist of the project.

Their decision is now there for all to see, the side of the St. Jamestown building now is host to a 32-storey mural of a phoenix — a fitting choice.

“They wanted to bring a lot of colour to the neighbourhood, but the idea of doing this phoenix design came from the fire that displaced so many people here a few years ago and so the youth wanted to take something that was initially seen as negative — and of course, was negative — and turn it into a positive, he said.

“To show that there is still life here. That it's something of a symbol for them. that this neighbourhood is vibrant and that there's good things happening here.”

The project took two months to complete.

The artists are now filling in some paperwork, hoping that their masterpiece is one for the world records books. Organizers have contacted the Guinness Book of World Records but it's not confirmed yet.